Zeta Prime
Zeta was once the leader of the Autobots but was very corrupt. History NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM TFWIKI.NET I AM JUST REUSING THE IDW INFO THERE FOR THIS WIKI. Before the war, Zeta of Sistex came in contact with Senator Shockwave, who saw him as a promising character with the potential to become a powerful leader who'd change Cybertron for the better, and had his body modified to incorporate a Matrix cavity in order to push him towards this path. After not hearing from Shockwave for a while, Zeta followed instructions left to him and sought out Orion Pax, one of the other promising Cybertronians befriended and modified by the Senator. When Pax went on the run, Zeta remained his contact in Iacon and a replacement mentor. In 1st cycle 502, he got wind of a new spark "hot spot" in the Alyon region: one the Senate were keeping secret as it was in the shape of a hand, the mythical digits of Primus pressing the planet into shape. Rather than allow the religious Functionist Council to use that for a power grab, the Senate were likely to kill the newborns. Zeta alerted Pax and his crew, who would later request reinforcements from him. He didn't receive the message but someone showed up anyway. Following the death of Sentinel Prime, Zeta did indeed live up to Shockwave's expectations and rose to the rank of Prime, and together with Pax reformed Sentinel's security forces into the new Autobot faction. Part of this meant faking a 'Matrix affinity', as the glitter bauble was secretly a replica but still believed to be divine. In order to facilitate a hostage exchange with Decepticons in the Rust Spot, Zeta commissioned a refit for Orion Pax, who led a group that consisted of Pax himself, Nightbeat, and Alpha Trion to save Ratchet. During his tenure he brought about many changes, such as granting more rights to "disposable class" citizens and instating a new, compulsory Decepticon Registration Act. Zeta Prime solidified the Autobot security forces into a true army to withstand the civil war Cybertron suddenly found itself embroiled in. Towards this end, he locked down most recreational activities, as they were magnets for terrorist activity by the Decepticons. This included a direct order to shut down the races which brought Blurr's stardom. In the wake of these shutdowns, he increased Autobot recruitment heavily, and many former entertainers joined the Autobot forces, only to find they were ill-prepared for the realities of war. Many attempts on his life were hatched, including one which was intercepted by a group of Autobots that included Orion Pax, then going by the name Optimus. Optimus was able to convince Blurr to carry news of the plot to Zeta Prime before the assassins could reach him. At the surface, Zeta appeared to be a change from the corrupt regime of the Senate, a view which he encouraged by rebranding his changes as "new", including a New Senate and a New Imperium. Changes were slow but happening, to the extent that Pax could no longer understand why the Decepticons might feel violent change was needed and himself admired Zeta. Ratchet agreed to be Zeta's new Chief Medical Officer to give him a chance. In truth Zeta turned out to be not much better than the old guard, having secretly created the New Institute to brainwash both Decepticons as well as Autobots in need of... a push in the right direction. Even soon into his time as Prime, he showed an arrogant and authoritarian attitude: 'gently' reminding Orion Pax that he wasn't just called Zeta now. Over time, this side of him became more obvious as he grew overzealous in his fight against the Decepticons and prone to outbursts of rage, to callous dismissals of everyone wrongly killed in the fight against "anarchy", and repeated admonishments for Pax to talk to him as "Prime" to 'keep appearances'. Orion Pax gradually began to realise Zeta was corrupt too, with Ratchet disgruntled that much of the old bigotries like functionism were simply continuing as 'de facto' rather than as the public establishment , but nevertheless, Orion Pax and the other Autobots continued to act as enforcers of his authority. Though he grew increasingly conceited with his newfound power, Zeta remained on good terms with Orion and told him that he believed the copper might follow him as Prime one day. With Zeta's forces cracking down harder and harder on potential Decepticon sympathizers, incidents of police violence grew to the point where the Autobots were regarded with suspicion by the general populace. When a Decepticon sympathizer and suspected arms dealer died in police custody — sparking riots across Iacon — Zeta broadcast an announcement to Cybertron reassuring the populace of the integrity of his police forces. Though Orion Pax was concerned that Zeta was glossing over the question of whether or not Hefter was guilty at all, Zeta dismissed his concerns, maintaining that his pageantry was in the name of the greater good. Frustrated with the growing Decepticon rebellion, Zeta Prime procured Jhiaxus's vamparc ribbon and outfitted his troops, including the Omega Destructors, with it. Unfortunately, the weapon came with a high energy cost, which Zeta was more than happy to draw from the citizens of Cybertron themselves, starting with the terror cell-infested city of Nyon. He deployed Orion Pax's team to the city, then had information on their mission leaked to the insurgents in hopes that the team would fail and be killed. Their deaths would allow Zeta Prime to declare the citizens of Nyon enemies of the state, providing him with ample pretext to invade the city and take all its energy. Though Orion survived, Zeta nevertheless went on to present his insane plan to the New Senate, brushing aside any and all protests. The spying Soundwave was witness to his his speech and fled once his cover was blown, prompting Zeta to order Orion Pax to hunt down the Decepticon before his vamparc ribbon became public knowledge. To Zeta Prime's annoyance, Orion not only returned empty-handed, but had learned of his plan and questioned it. Zeta brushed him off and reminded him that he had twice led his troops into Decepticon ambushes, ignoring Orion's suspicion that he'd been set up, then sent his team back into Nyon to capture the insurgent Hot Rod. With Orion out of the way, Zeta Prime quit bothering with subterfuge and personally led several Omega Destructors into Nyon, devastating the city and draining its citizens dry, forcing Hot Rod's rebels to self-destruct the city rather than let it become fuel for his army. This only turned out to be part of Zeta's plan, as it meant he finally got rid of Nyon and its rebels once and for all. Having witnessed the attack, Orion Pax and his troops turned on and attacked Zeta, but he defeated them all with a vamparc ribbon. Before he could finish Orion off, Zeta was interrupted by the arrival of Megatron, who caused his weapon to overload and forced him to retreat. During a meeting with the Senate, Zeta Prime and his Omega Destructors were attacked by a joint Autobot-Decepticon force, with Megatron and Orion Pax personally battling Zeta himself. After Orion destroyed his vamparc ribbon, Megatron was able to get close and use his fusion cannon to destroy Zeta Prime's head. In spite of having been kind of a madman, Zeta Prime was still honored with a memorial statue near Sherma Bridge. For many years, Blurr would regret saving that psycho bastard and Optimus was disgusted with himself for having ever believed in him. Prime would remark that by working for Zeta, he used to be "part of the problem." After the war, Prowl mentioned Zeta Prime's death at the hands of Megatron in a series of examples to remind Bumblebee of the hollow ideals of the Decepticon movement. Not long thereafter, as Optimus Prime Orion Pax and Nova Prime battled within the Dead Universe, the latter momentarily shape-shifted into Zeta Prime's appearance, taunting Pax over the fact he'd admired and been mentored by Zeta, to bring home the point that the Prime lineage was inescapable. Starscream later cited Zeta Prime — along with Nova and Sentinel — as examples of the corrupt lineage of the Primes in an attempt to discredit Optimus before the Council of Worlds.